After about 100 hrs learning this game, I had an England opening last night that put me in a very strong position, so I thought I'd share. I only play on m/m, so I'm happy to get feedback from stronger players. Hopefully this will help newer players.
My strategy was to eliminate Scotland asap, but while first getting key alliances on the mainland (it seems harder to get alliances if warring on someone from my limited experience).
Here is a list of what you start with and their immediate goals (hope I'm not forgetting anyone):
Princess, Spy, Cardinal, East-most cog-ship: Send the ship up around the coast to the NE so that you can get all three agents on the ship in the first turn. Then send the ship to the mainland and deposit them there. Princess's goal is to beeline to Denmark then HRE to make alliances (all alliances incl. trade rights and map exchanges), then on to Poland to make alliance, then marry her off. Spy heads to southern france to find 95% success targets to train. Cardinal hanges around Bruges and Antwerp converting people.
Diplomat, Merchant, small stack of mainland troops, non-general troops in Caen, west-most cog-ship: Send the diplomat SE to make alliances with Milan, Papal States, Sicily, then on to Venice and Hungary for alliances. The merchant is too vulnerable early on the mainland, so take him and the small stack of troops and non-general troops and put them in the boat. Drop the merchant at the mines on the SW tip of the main island. Then take the boat to London. Build new defenders at Caen to ward off a French invasion. For now, don't worry about taking Rennes, just sit tight with Caen on the mainland.
King, non-general troops in London (except one peasants), non-general troops in Nottingham (except one spearmen), Heir and troops. Hopefully you will get a mission to take York in the first couple of turns. Once you do, move your King and all troops except one peasants into your West-cog and send it North along coast to meet up with Heir and troops (if reward is units, East-cog waits at London to pick them up. if reward is cash, buy horse-units in Nottingham and pick them up). Have Heir and units siege York. Once rest of troops have been added, York should be yours without a fight (occupy).
In all of your cities, don't build units (unless reward from York is cash in which case you'll need to spend the cash on some units. In my game, I got 4 mailed cav). Don't build military buildings either--yet. Focus on economic buildings (roads, ports, farms, mines, etc.).
Once York is yours, leave behind your weakest unit (prob a town guard from London) and send the rest in a boat North to wait just on the West of Edinburgh (but still on the boat). You are waiting for your key alliances to finish (Denmark, HRE, Milan, and Papal States). Once you have those alliances (incl. trade rights), deposit your army to the West of Edinburgh and seige (get 1-2 rams and 1-2 towers or w/e you prefer as long as it only takes 1 turn). Next turn, take the city, eliminating Scotland. In my game, Scotland had a big stack to the SE of Edinburgh that didn't come into play and turned rebel after Scotland was destroyed. Try to place your troops so that they don't come into play. If they do, it's a tougher battle, but you should still win.
I was able to hit Edinburgh on turn 8 (!) with the King, Heir, 4 peasant archers, 10 spear militia, and 4 mailed cav. If necessary, you could see what mercs are available for purchase. Sack the city (I got $4300 in my game).
Continue building economic buildings and avoiding military buildings. Build some more troops in Caen and take Rennes with them once you feel you can take it without leaving Caen completely vulnerable.
Send your northern army in a counter-clockwise circle around the islands (Inverness-Dublin-the Western castle (starts with C)). Leave minimal defenders behind (but 2 units in Dublin because it is harder to reinforce and you may need 2 for happiness reasons later). Then on to Antwerp (if still available) then Bruges. Get some reinforcement troops along the way only if necessary.
Hopefully by this time you are allied with all of the Eastern Catholic region. Also, hopefully none of them allied with France, Portugal, or Spain--because that is where you are going to be focused next, in that order preferably. If they did get an alliance (France and HRE allied in my game), you'll have to adapt. Hopefully, you can at least keep an alliance with the strongest-military nation (I failed to do this in my game with HRE because they backed France; however, everyone else stayed allied with me and each other).
I got really lucky in my game in that the Pope crusaded France first (got excomm. for attacking Portugal). I've never had that before. Anyway, I took advantage and started attacking along western France with my crusading army, while another stack back home took the NE french cities (sacking them for good money). I'm at the point where I'm about to take the crusade target SW most city, which will give me a solid border with Portugal before moving to eliminate France to the SE.
My goal was to then move on to Portugal and Spain (who are allied), but HRE is now isolated from our diplo block, the most militarily powerful, and at war with Milan. So, I will likely aid my ally first and attack HRE before moving into the peninsula. Hopefully I can keep the peace with Portugal and Spain until that time. If all goes well, I would then start attacking non-Catholic factions after that, unless anyone else gets isolated from our diplo block.
Trade money is rolling in and my economy is booming, especially with the spoils of war added in. I'm now building a lot of military buildings and spamming units. I converted all of the island castles to cities for the economic boost. Most of my cities are set at low taxes (and were since the beginning) for growth. However, large cities (+6000 pop) may be at very high if they still grow well.
An alternative path I considered before the crusade was called was to take two stacks on two boats and take out Spain or Portugal quickly, then the other, then the Moors on the peninsula in order to consolidate the peninsula before hitting France on two fronts. That could work as well, esp. as Spain and Portugal are weaker earlier on.
Either way, having all of the islands that early in the game gives a strong economic base from which to build.
I hope this helps and welcome any feedback.
My strategy was to eliminate Scotland asap, but while first getting key alliances on the mainland (it seems harder to get alliances if warring on someone from my limited experience).
Here is a list of what you start with and their immediate goals (hope I'm not forgetting anyone):
Princess, Spy, Cardinal, East-most cog-ship: Send the ship up around the coast to the NE so that you can get all three agents on the ship in the first turn. Then send the ship to the mainland and deposit them there. Princess's goal is to beeline to Denmark then HRE to make alliances (all alliances incl. trade rights and map exchanges), then on to Poland to make alliance, then marry her off. Spy heads to southern france to find 95% success targets to train. Cardinal hanges around Bruges and Antwerp converting people.
Diplomat, Merchant, small stack of mainland troops, non-general troops in Caen, west-most cog-ship: Send the diplomat SE to make alliances with Milan, Papal States, Sicily, then on to Venice and Hungary for alliances. The merchant is too vulnerable early on the mainland, so take him and the small stack of troops and non-general troops and put them in the boat. Drop the merchant at the mines on the SW tip of the main island. Then take the boat to London. Build new defenders at Caen to ward off a French invasion. For now, don't worry about taking Rennes, just sit tight with Caen on the mainland.
King, non-general troops in London (except one peasants), non-general troops in Nottingham (except one spearmen), Heir and troops. Hopefully you will get a mission to take York in the first couple of turns. Once you do, move your King and all troops except one peasants into your West-cog and send it North along coast to meet up with Heir and troops (if reward is units, East-cog waits at London to pick them up. if reward is cash, buy horse-units in Nottingham and pick them up). Have Heir and units siege York. Once rest of troops have been added, York should be yours without a fight (occupy).
In all of your cities, don't build units (unless reward from York is cash in which case you'll need to spend the cash on some units. In my game, I got 4 mailed cav). Don't build military buildings either--yet. Focus on economic buildings (roads, ports, farms, mines, etc.).
Once York is yours, leave behind your weakest unit (prob a town guard from London) and send the rest in a boat North to wait just on the West of Edinburgh (but still on the boat). You are waiting for your key alliances to finish (Denmark, HRE, Milan, and Papal States). Once you have those alliances (incl. trade rights), deposit your army to the West of Edinburgh and seige (get 1-2 rams and 1-2 towers or w/e you prefer as long as it only takes 1 turn). Next turn, take the city, eliminating Scotland. In my game, Scotland had a big stack to the SE of Edinburgh that didn't come into play and turned rebel after Scotland was destroyed. Try to place your troops so that they don't come into play. If they do, it's a tougher battle, but you should still win.
I was able to hit Edinburgh on turn 8 (!) with the King, Heir, 4 peasant archers, 10 spear militia, and 4 mailed cav. If necessary, you could see what mercs are available for purchase. Sack the city (I got $4300 in my game).
Continue building economic buildings and avoiding military buildings. Build some more troops in Caen and take Rennes with them once you feel you can take it without leaving Caen completely vulnerable.
Send your northern army in a counter-clockwise circle around the islands (Inverness-Dublin-the Western castle (starts with C)). Leave minimal defenders behind (but 2 units in Dublin because it is harder to reinforce and you may need 2 for happiness reasons later). Then on to Antwerp (if still available) then Bruges. Get some reinforcement troops along the way only if necessary.
Hopefully by this time you are allied with all of the Eastern Catholic region. Also, hopefully none of them allied with France, Portugal, or Spain--because that is where you are going to be focused next, in that order preferably. If they did get an alliance (France and HRE allied in my game), you'll have to adapt. Hopefully, you can at least keep an alliance with the strongest-military nation (I failed to do this in my game with HRE because they backed France; however, everyone else stayed allied with me and each other).
I got really lucky in my game in that the Pope crusaded France first (got excomm. for attacking Portugal). I've never had that before. Anyway, I took advantage and started attacking along western France with my crusading army, while another stack back home took the NE french cities (sacking them for good money). I'm at the point where I'm about to take the crusade target SW most city, which will give me a solid border with Portugal before moving to eliminate France to the SE.
My goal was to then move on to Portugal and Spain (who are allied), but HRE is now isolated from our diplo block, the most militarily powerful, and at war with Milan. So, I will likely aid my ally first and attack HRE before moving into the peninsula. Hopefully I can keep the peace with Portugal and Spain until that time. If all goes well, I would then start attacking non-Catholic factions after that, unless anyone else gets isolated from our diplo block.
Trade money is rolling in and my economy is booming, especially with the spoils of war added in. I'm now building a lot of military buildings and spamming units. I converted all of the island castles to cities for the economic boost. Most of my cities are set at low taxes (and were since the beginning) for growth. However, large cities (+6000 pop) may be at very high if they still grow well.
An alternative path I considered before the crusade was called was to take two stacks on two boats and take out Spain or Portugal quickly, then the other, then the Moors on the peninsula in order to consolidate the peninsula before hitting France on two fronts. That could work as well, esp. as Spain and Portugal are weaker earlier on.
Either way, having all of the islands that early in the game gives a strong economic base from which to build.
I hope this helps and welcome any feedback.